Magnetic holder for paper clips



Oct. 13, 1964 R. MCFADYEN MAGNETIC HOLDER FOR PAPER CLIPS Filed Sept.11. 1962 FIG;

FIG. 3

RW Ma O E TD N NM E EF O VC. W.. ,NIM A WDM w W RM Y B United StatesAPatent C)l 3,153,177 MAGNETIC HOLDER FR PAPER CUPS lilichard Mcldadyen,Upper hlontclair, NJ., assigner to lietehain and McDougail, Inc.,Roseland, NJ., a corporation ol New .lersey Filed Sept. 11, 1962, Ser.No. 222,345 3 Claims. (Cl. 317-159) The present invention relates todesk accessories broadly and particularly to a holder for paper clips inthe form of an upstanding rod placed on a base, the vertical rod portionbeing magnetized and therefore holding a plurality of paper clips of theusual form which are generally made of ferrous magnetizable material.

More particularly the clip holder or stick of the present invention isso constructed that the base portion, although made of ferrous material,does not become magnetized and does not attract paper clips while thevertical or stick portion is so arranged as to exert a magnetic held ofsuch strength that clips placed directly upon the stick are held theretoand clips coming into contact with these clips may also be held to thestick but with relatively slight attractive force. Thus when theoverlying clip is removed the underlying clip, i.e., the clip directlyin contact with the magnetic stick will remain in position so that onlyone clip will be removed.

lt is an object of the invention to provide a desk accessory andparticularly a paper clip holder which comprises an upstanding stickmember formed of a plurality of magnets which attract and hold paperclips on their surfaces.

lt is another object of the invention to provide such a magnetic clipstick in which the base which supports the stick, although formed offerrous magnetizable material does not become magnetized and thereforeno paper clips are held in an undesirable position on the base.

Another object of the invention is to so orient the magnets of which thestick is comprised that the magnetic fields are partially shorted tothus assure that paper clips may be removed from the stick individuallyrather than in groups.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a magnetic paperclip holder which is simple in construction pleasing in appearance, andeconomically manufactured.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent when thefollowing description is considered in connection with the annexeddrawings, in which,

FIGURE l is a top plan view of a magnetic paper clip holder inaccordance with my invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation of the clip holder of FIG- URE l;

'FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the clip stick of the preceding iigures,the central portion of the base insert being broken away in order toshow the construction; and

FlGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional View of the device of thepreceding figures.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown at a base which isgenerally cup-shaped and which is formed of steel having a brass platingthereupon. In addition to the outer element 10 the base has an innerelement 11 which has a concave central portion 12, the two portionsbeing fastened together as will later be described to form a more rigidstructure than the single member 10 could provide.

Additionally, the major portion of member 11 lies in a plane slightlyabove the lower peripheral edge of the cup-shaped member 10 leaving aspace in which a cork or other protective insert 13 is positoned andfastened to the annular portion of the member 11.

Fixed centrally of the base 10 is a stack of magnets "ice comprising themagnets 14. These magnets are all alike and, as clearly shown in FIGURE4, are annular in form being provided at their upper edge with a reduceddiamf eter portion 1S. The magnets alternate with cup-shaped spacers 16the periphery of which spacers is of a size to fit on the reduced magnetdiameter thereby keeping the stack in vertical alignment. It should benoticed that the lowermost cup member 16 is reversed and faces upwardlywhereas the remainder face downwardly.

The stack of magnets 14 and spacers 16 is held in position on the baselil by means of a rod 17 which rod is provided with a head 1S at itsupper end and is threaded and provided with a nut Ztl at its lower end.The rod 1'7 is of ferrous material and passes through .central openings21 in the spacers 16, these openings being clearance openings so thatthe rod 17 makes contact with the intermediate spacers 16 in a verylimited area. The top spacer 16, however, isseated against the head 1Sand therefore has a considerable area in contact and in a similar mannerthe lower spacer 16 is in contact with the ferrous metal and with `theupwardly concave portion of element 1l as well as with the nut 20 sothat there is a relatively large area of contact between the spacer andthe rod or rivet 17.

The magnets 14 are preferably oriented so that the like poles ofadjacent magnets are adjacent each other, but may be oriented in thesame direction so that all of the magnets have, for example, the northpole at the top and the south pole at the bottom it being understoodthat it is immaterial whether the north or south pole be at the top. Asa result of the .construction described the magnets as a whole areshortcircuited by the rod or rivet 17 and no magnetic ilux is present inthe base iii. and therefore no magnetic attraction is exerted and clipsare not retained on the base 1i). Each magnet 14 is individuallypartially shunted by virtue of the contact of the adjacent spacingWasher with the magnet and with the rod 17, but as explained above, theContact with the rod 17 is very limited so that the shunt is onlyslightly effective. y

However, this partial shunting is suilicient to reduce the tendency ofclips retained on the holder to become magnetized to an extent to holdadditional clips. As a result a clip may be removed from the holderwithout removing a second undesired clip, While at the same time a clipmay be held directly by the holder or be held solely by attraction of aclip on that holder.

ln order to assure that the array of magnets be held in position, aspring washer 2?. is providechthis washer being concave upwardly andexerting a downward pressure upon the upper magnet. This arrangementassures that Le stack be firmly held while at the same time reducing thelikelihood that one or more of the magnets will be cracked by exertingtoo great a pressure during assembly. The magnets 14 may be of theceramic type and thus somewhat fragile.

Although the rod 17 has been describedas threaded and provided with anut, it will be understood that the rod may be inverted and the endthereof be riveted over. This end may also be a press tit in the concaveportion of the base element 11 or any other suitable means of fixing therod 17 in the base comprising elements 10 and 11 may be utilized.

Many other variations in construction are also possible as for examplemagnets 14 may be provided with reduced diameter portions at both endsthereof and two spacing washers be provided between each pairA ofmagnets to increase the centering effect. n

Since the suggested variations and many` others are well within theskill of the art, Iv wish to be limited not by the foregoing descriptionbut solely by the claims granted to me.

What is claimed is:

l. In a holder for paper clips and the like, in combination, a base, aplurality of magnets mounted in stacked array on said base, said magnetsbeing annular and axially magnetized forming a north pole on one edgeand a south pole at the other, one face of each said magnet beingprovided with a reduced portion, spacing washers of magnetizablematerial having clearance holes therein, said spacing washers being`cup-shaped, said reduced portion of said magnet itting within theperiphery of the corresponding cup-shaped washer, and a rod passingthrough the centers of said magnets and through said washer clearanceholes, said rod serving to shunt the magnetic flux of the complete arrayof magnets, said washers serving to partially shunt individual magnets,said rod having an enlarged head bearing against the uppermost washerand an enlarged area at the base in magnetic contact with the lowermostwasher.

2. A device in accordance with claim l, wherein an annular spring washeris provided between the head on said rod and the uppermost magnet tothereby exert a constant pressure on the stacked array to retain themagnets and spacers in aligned position substantially perpendicular tothe base.

3. in a holder for paper clips and the like, in combination, a basecomprising a cup-shaped member of ferrous material, a disk having acentral upwardly concave portion within said base, the peripheral edgesof said base extending downwardly beyond the peripheral edges of saiddisk, a protective insert Xed to the under surface of said disk, saidinsert being of a thickness to position its lower surface substantiallyflush with the edge of said base, a plurality of magnets mounted instacked array on said base, said magnets being annular and axiallymagnetized forming a north pole at one edge and a south pole at theother, means for shunting a small portion of the magnetic iiuX of theindividual magnets of the array and means for substantially completelyshunting the linx of the complete array whereby clips will be retainedupon said array when in contact therewith and said base will remainunmagnetized.

leierences Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS3,051,875 Farwell Aug. 2S, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 367,578 Great BritainMar. 14, i929

1. IN A HOLDER FOR PAPER CLIPS AND THE LIKE, IN COMBINATION, A BASE, APLURALITY OF MAGNETS MOUNTED IN STACKED ARRAY ON SAID BASE, SAID MAGNETSBEING ANNULAR AND AXIALLY MAGNETIZED FORMING A NORTH POLE ON ONE EDGEAND A SOUTH POLE AT THE OTHER, ONE FACE OF EACH SAID MAGNET BEINGPROVIDED WITH A REDUCED PORTION, SPACING WASHERS OF MAGNETIZABLEMATERIAL HAVING CLEARANCE HOLES THEREIN, SAID SPACING WASHERS BEINGCUP-SHAPED, SAID REDUCED PORTION OF SAID MAGNET FITTING WITHIN THEPERIPHERY OF THE CORRESPONDING CUP-SHAPED WASHER, AND A ROD PASSINGTHROUGH THE CENTERS OF SAID MAGNETS AND THROUGH SAID WASHER CLEARANCEHOLES, SAID ROD SERVING TO SHUNT THE MAGNETIC FLUX OF THE COMPLETE ARRAYOF MAGNETS, SAID WASHERS SERVING TO PARTIALLY SHUNT INDIVIDUAL MAGNETS,SAID ROD HAVING AN ENLARGED HEAD BEARING AGAINST THE UPPERMOST WASHERAND AN ENLARGED AREA AT THE BASE IN MAGNETIC CONTACT WITH THE LOWERMOSTWASHER.